'Talk Show Democracy'—On the Line with Larry King

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

'Talk Show Democracy'—On the Line with Larry King The Father of "Talk Show Democracy" On the Line with Larry King N THE AFTERMATH of what surely was the most extraordinary presidential campaign ever for the American news I media, the Larry King story-like the man himself-has taken on almost mythic proportions: Horatio Alger Makes Good. Real good. Today, the mantle of media greatness rests easy on the self­ described "Jewish kid from Brooklyn" in the wake of events that defined the "top banana of talk show hosts" as the undisputed king­ maker of the 1990S. Consider: During the presidential race, Ross Perot announced his candidacy (twice) on "Larry King Live"; after belittling the idea, an uncomfortable (and, finally, desperate) George Bush came on the show late in a losing campaign; and Bill Clinton, mindful of King's role in his victory, promised to be back every six months ifhe won. Though self-effacing ("I'm just the interlocutor"), Larry King doesn't reject the label of Father of America's new "electronic democ­ racy," a revolution that came of age, he acknowledges, with Perot's coy, on-air concession on Feb. 20, 1992, that he'd run for president if drafted. With that show, Larry King became an instant oracle, rank­ ing second (after venerable sense-maker David Brinkley), Media Studies Center research found, among most frequently cited political pundits, while catching both grief from the traditional news media and loyalty of audiences and candidates. "1 don't get carried away with it," King told Journal Editor Edward Pease in an interview in King's CNN office in March. "1 123 The Father of "Talk Show Democracy" mean, it's wonderful to be a part of it-I'd be kidding you if I said I don't love the attention and the pay and the wonderful things it brings you. And it's wonderful to be in the middle of the hunt.... But you got to watch that it doesn't go to your head." In 1994, with the role of interactive shows like King's well estab­ lished, Larry King reflects that what now is revered as "talk show democracy" is just an idea whose time took a while to come-34 years, to be precise, which was how long ago King developed the for­ mat he still uses. His 1960 radio show, broadcast live from Pumpernik's Restaurant in Miami Beach, consisted of conversation with both stars and "regular people." That basic format became the "Larry King Live" show that 400 million people listen to or watch daily in 1994. "I'm not doing anything different than I did 30-something years ago," King says. "Nothing. Before the Gore-Perot debate-someone said, 'Boy, you must be edgy.' Why? I did two guys running for Miami Beach mayor. I have had two guys punch each other. It's nothing new-there are just different characters. I've always been inquiring. I'm doing the same thing I've always done except that now 124 On the Line with Larry King the avenues are so much wider, direct communication is so much more powerful than it was when I was in Miami Beach." In a 1989 interview with Media Studies Journal King said of talk radio: "Probably we're a better barometer [of public opinion] in that the New York Times will print only the letters that it chooses to print." Shows like his, King said, were "a national, electronic town meeting, a chance for the public to get together and speak out." Talk shows in general and Larry King's in particular have not been without their critics in the 1990S; it isn't difficult to make connections between public resentment of the traditional news media and the grow­ ing popularity of "alternatives." In his 1993 book On the Line, respond­ ing to the sometimes whining criticism from the press that shows like his make it easy for public figures to circumvent the press and avoid the tough questions, King concedes that, "'Talk show democracy' is certain­ ly not without risks or flaws. Our callers ask better, more serious ques­ tions than some in the press have given them credit for. But some candidates and their handlers still think of talk shows as a way to avoid tough press grillings. Talk shows should supplement the campaign press, not replace it. There's room enough for everyone." It is King's view that direct-access exchange between citizens and public figures-even presidents-is good for society and press alike. That vision of the American people speaking to one another over the air has become the electronic and political reality of the 1990S. And political leaders are joining in, as the Father of the Talk Show Democracy discussed in this interview evaluating the presidency in the new media age and his own part in it. M E D I A STU DIE S J 0 URN A L : You have had a major influence in developing the promise of the "electronic town meeting. " Would you talk about how you see this new form having affected the ways that Bill Clin­ ton governs? LA R R Y KIN G: Bill Clinton's great strength is his ability to commu­ nicate via television, one on one. Reagan had that strength, but his was perceived completely differently: Reagan was your really nice uncle who was a good guy and made you feel good. Clinton is your really bright cousin who listens to you, cares about the family, relates 125 The Father of ((Talk Show Democracy" very well, calls, keeps in touch, is accessible. He's a nice guy. Got faults ... we all have faults-for example, even the Whitewater thing. But he's extraordinarily likable. Even what we see as a little bit of a cad in him is kind of fun. So, he will use to his advantage programs like "Larry King Live" and others. The more he communicates in an informal setting, the better. I have no doubt that if this were the 1930S, Roosevelt would have been on our show a lot-fireside chats with Larry King. He would have taken it further and talked to the public. Clinton's willing to talk to the public. He is the most accessible president ever. M S J: Do you think the president gets away with more on shows like yours because he's so good on the air and can appear and sell his position pretty much without being challenged? LA R R Y KIN G: You have to be good at that. But that same plus that allows him to go on and focus on himself also allows Whitewater to be the focus of the show this week. You got to pay the price of it. M S J: How is this immediate access of the public with news and news­ makers changing how the traditional news media deal with the presi­ dent? LA R R Y KIN G: There's no "traditional" anymore. In fact, in a cou­ ple of years, we're going to be called traditional, and something new will have come along. Communications is so informal today and so one-to-one: When I was a kid, the last thing I'd have dreamed of would have been talk­ ing to a president. I mean, forget it. But that's a distinct possibility today, that a Joe Citizen in Des Moines can talk to Bill Clinton. In fact, if his kid wanted to really work at it, he could make it happen, because Bill Clinton will be on phone-in shows and will continue to communicate that way. We'll continue to have these kinds of forums. Now, Whitewater aside, it wouldn't shock me to see Hillary debate Robert Dole on the eve of the health care vote on " Larry King Live." Gore and Perot proved that the new rules are that there are no rules anymore. 126 On the Line with Larry King M SJ: Where does that leave the Washington Post, the New York Times, ABC, NBC? LA R R Y KIN G : Someone said-and I don't know if this is true-that today we have more input of information in a week than someone in 1930 had in a lifetime. The more the merrier. We've never been better informed. The more channels open to us-the more C­ SPANs, the more CNNs-the better. There will still be a Washington Post. There will be op-ed pages. There will be critics. But today, the newspaper has a different role. M S J: What's that? LA R R Y KIN G : The difference today is that Clinton could make three key TV appearances. Let's say he appears on " Larry King Live," "Nightline" and the morning shows. Then there's William Safire, two days later, on the op-ed page of the New York Times, telling you that he looked erratic. It's meaningless to you, if he didn't look erratic to you. When I was a kid, all I had to go on was print: Time magazine told me what to think of Harry Truman-print was like the Bible to me. But now, all this competition forces the printed press to be better and smarter-the Los Angeles Times is 100 percent better than it was; the New York Times, infinitely more readable, a better paper, affected by television-the New York Times is doing graphics! The Washington Post is a better paper. So is the Chicago Tribune. M S J: SO the "new media" are pushing newspapers to do a better and dif ferentjob? LA R R Y KIN G: Sure.
Recommended publications
  • Contents Executive Summary
    FIU SJMC Undergraduate Self-Study Report for Accreditation Visits in 2014 - 2015 1 Part II, Standard 8. Professional and Public Service Contents Executive summary ......................................................................................................................... 1 1. Summarize the professional and public service activities undertaken by the unit ...................... 3 2. Provide brochures and other publications that describe the unit’s professional and public service activities............................................................................................................................. 19 3. Describe the unit’s contact with alumni, professionals and professional organizations to keep curriculum and instruction .............................................................................................................. 20 4. List examples of professional and public service activities undertaken by members of the faculty in the past six years ........................................................................................................... 21 5. Describe the role of professional and public service in promotion and tenure decisions.......... 27 6. Describe the unit’s support of scholastic (high school) journalism, including workshops, visiting lectures, critiques of student work, etc .......................................................................................... 28 7. Describe the unit’s methods for communicating with alumni, such as newsletters or other publications ...................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Feminine Style in the Pursuit of Political Power
    UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE Talk “Like a Man”: Feminine Style in the Pursuit of Political Power DISSERTATION submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in Political Science by Jennifer J. Jones Dissertation Committee: Professor Kristen Monroe, Chair Professor Marty Wattenberg Professor Michael Tesler 2017 Chapter 4 c 2016 American Political Science Association and Cambridge University Press. Reprinted with permission. All other materials c 2017 Jennifer J. Jones TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF FIGURES iv LIST OF TABLES vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS vii CURRICULUM VITAE viii ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION xi 1 Introduction 1 2 Theoretical Framework and Literature Review 5 2.1 Social Identity and Its Effect on Social Cognition . 6 2.1.1 Stereotypes and Expectations . 9 2.1.2 Conceptualizing Gender in US Politics . 13 2.2 Gender and Self-Presentation in US Politics . 16 2.2.1 Masculine Norms of Interaction in Institutional Settings . 16 2.2.2 Political Stereotypes and Leadership Prototypes . 18 2.3 The Impact of Political Communication in Electoral Politics . 22 2.4 Do Women Have to Talk Like Men to Be Considered Viable Leaders? . 27 3 Methods: Words are Data 29 3.1 Approaches to Studying Language . 30 3.2 Analyzing Linguistic Style . 34 3.2.1 Gendered Communication and the Feminine/Masculine Ratio . 37 3.2.2 Comparison with Other Coding Schemes . 39 3.3 Approaches to Studying Social Perception and Attitudes . 40 3.3.1 The Link Between Linguistic Style and Implicit Associations . 42 4 The Linguistic Styles of Hillary Clinton, 1992–2013 45 4.1 The Case of Hillary Clinton .
    [Show full text]
  • Mels Resume:Update2020
    Melissa Street Makeup Artist Film/Television/Theater/Live Events cell: (858) 344-7201 email: [email protected] FILM: 2020 MAKEUP DEPARTMENT HEAD - GIGI - Director: Drew Sackheim. 2018 MAKEUP ARTIST - TOP GUN MAVERICK - PARAMOUNT - Director: Joseph Kosinski - Starring: Tom Cruise, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Val Kilmer, Miles Teller. 2016 MAKEUP DEPARTMENT HEAD - THE RIDE - 100 ACRE FILMS - SHORT FILM - Director: Eric Addison 2014 MAKEUP DEPARTMENT HEAD - WALTER - ZERO GRAVITY Director: Anna Mastro - Starring: Andrew J. West, Virginia Madsen, William H. Macy, Leven Rambin, Peter Facinelli, Neve Campbell, Brian White, Jim Gaffigan, Justin Kirk, Milo Ventimiglia. Personal artist to: Virginia Madsen, William H. Macy, Andrew J. West, Peter Facinelli, Neve Campbell, Brian White. 2013 MAKEUP DEPARTMENT HEAD - SUPER ATHLETE - WHITE NIGHT PRODUC- TIONS Director: John Comrie - Starring: Tony Sirico, Christopher Lloyd, Faran Tahir, Cameron Rodriguez, Larry Van- Buren Jr. Personal artist to: Tony Sirico, Christopher Lloyd, Faran Tahir. 2011 KEY MAKEUP ARTIST - WHEN YOU FIND ME - SHORT FILM - PROJECT IMAG- IN8TION/FREESTYLE Director: Bryce Dallas-Howard - Starring: Marianna Palka, Erin Way, Jacy King, Karley Scott Collins, Devon Woods, Zachary James Rukavina. 2010 MAKEUP DEPARTMENT HEAD - THE HEIRESS LETHAL - SHORT FILM - EYE- FULL STUDIOS Director: Michael Brueggemeyer - Starring: Merrick McCartha, Cristyn Chandler, Ron Christopher Jones, Theresa Layne. 2003 MAKEUP DEPARTMENT HEAD - CARROT TOP ROCKS LAS VEGAS - DELTA EN- TERTAINMENT Director: Steve Hanft - Starring: Scott “Carrot Top” Thompson, Penn Jillette, Teller. 1986 UNCREDITED MAKEUP ASSISTANT - INVADERS FROM MARS - CANNON PIC- TURES Director: Tobe Hooper - Starring: Karen Black, Hunter Carson, Timothy Bottoms, James Karen, Laraine Newman. Makeup Assistant to Stan Winston F/X lab team.
    [Show full text]
  • Journalists Denying Liberal Bias, Part Three
    Journalists Denying Liberal Bias, Part Three More examples of journalists denying their liberal bias: "I'm not going to judge anybody else in the business, but our work — I can speak for NBC News and our newsroom — it goes through, talk about checks and balances. We have an inordinate number of editors. Every word I write, before it goes on air, goes through all kinds of traps and filters, and it's read by all kinds of different people who point out bias." — CNBC anchor Brian Williams on Comedy Central's The Daily Show, July 29, 2003. "Our greatest accomplishment as a profession is the development since World War II of a news reporting craft that is truly non-partisan, and non-ideological....It is that legacy we must protect with our diligent stewardship. To do so means we must be aware of the energetic effort that is now underway to convince our readers that we are ideologues. It is an exercise of, in disinformation, of alarming proportions, this attempt to convince the audience of the world's most ideology-free newspapers that they're being subjected to agenda-driven news reflecting a liberal bias. I don't believe our viewers and readers will be, in the long-run, misled by those who advocate biased journalism." — New York Times Executive Editor Howell Raines accepting the 'George Beveridge Editor of the Year Award,' February 20, 2003. CBS's Lesley Stahl: "Today you have broadcast journalists who are avowedly conservative.... The voices that are being heard in broadcast media today, are far more likely to be on the right and avowedly so, and therefore, more — almost stridently so, than what you're talking about." Host Cal Thomas: "Can you name a conservative journalist at CBS News?" Stahl: "I don't know of anybody's political bias at CBS News....We try very hard to get any opinion that we have out of our stories, and most of our stories are balanced." — Exchange on the Fox News Channel's After Hours with Cal Thomas, January 18, 2003.
    [Show full text]
  • September 9,2005 VIA FACSIMILE and US. MIL Lawrence H. Norton
    3 rnc/, September 9,2005 a VIA FACSIMILE and US.MIL b e Lawrence H. Norton, Esq. LJ General Counsel Federal Election Commission 999 E Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20463 Re: MUR 5225 - Response of Respondents New York Senate 2000 and Andrew Grossman, in his official capacity as treasurer Dear Mr. Norton: We are writing on behalf of the above-referenced Respondents in MUR 5225. Respondents oppose the Office of General Counsel's recommendation of a finding of probable cause to believe that they violated the Federal Election Campaign Act, as amended, 2 U.S.C. 43 1 et seq. (2005). They respectfilly submit that the Commission should take no further action against them in this matter. I. FACTUAL BACKGROUND A. New Ysrk Senate 2000 and the Hollywood Gala This matter involves a fundraising event held in Los Angeles on August 12,2000, to benefit New York Senate 2000 ("the Committee"). Formally titled, "The Hollywood Gala Salute to President William Jefferson Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton," the event has been referred to sometimes as the "Hollywood Gala," and is described in Committee records as "Event 39." Held at a private estate, the event was a dinner and a concert honoring President William J. Clinton on the eve of the Democratic National Convention. New York Senate 2000 is a joint fundraising committee whose participants included Hillary Rodham Clinton for U.S. Senate Committee, Inc., the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and the New York State Democratic Party. It was one of [04005-0087MYS2000 Response Sep 9 20051 September 9,2005 Page 2 multiple joint fundraising committees organized during the 2000 election cycle with the participation of the DSCC, to help raise fhds for Democratic Senate candidates.
    [Show full text]
  • Anthony Bourdain 2014 Schedule
    Anthony bourdain 2014 schedule Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown is an American travel and food show on CNN which premiered on . Season 4 aired from September to December Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown on CNN U.S. (Domestic) Sundays: 9pm EST - 11pm, 2am EST Previous week's episode - 8pm EST Fridays. Season 10 of CNN Original Series Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown, Launches Sunday, October 1 at 9pm With a Tour of Singapore. Find out when and where you can watch Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown episodes with TVGuide's full tv listings - you'll never miss another moment from your. Anthony Bourdain: Prime Cuts. ,. A retrospective summarizing each season of "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown." Upcoming Shows. Documentary · Bourdain heads to Jamaica, a destination well known for delicious Caribbean delicacies and feel-good vibes. The host travels along the Northeast. Documentary · Bourdain travels to Mexico City, Oaxaca, and Cuernavaca to commune with local residents who express their passion through food, art, and the. This CNN original series has chef Anthony Bourdain traveling to extraordinary locations around the globe to sample a variety of local cuisines. Watch trailers. Parts Unknown host Anthony Bourdain talks the downside of traveling days per year. Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. Season 10, Episode 4 | Airing On: 10/22/ TV. poster for Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. Anthony Bourdain: Parts. Schedule your hangover (and have some Kung Pao Chicken). pinterest Anthony Bourdain (@Bourdain) April 28, Apparently, Borneo. June 19, If you're working in the kitchen of Anthony Bourdain, legendary chef of Brasserie Les Halles, best-selling author, and famed television. Interview: The Evolution of Anthony Bourdain's 'Parts Unknown'.
    [Show full text]
  • King of the Paranormal
    King of the Paranormal CNN's Larry King Live has a long history of outrageous promotion of UFOs, psychics, and spiritualists. CHRIS MOONEY roadcast on CNN, the July 1, 2003, installment of Larry King Live was a sight to behold. The program, Bin Kings words, explored "the incredible events of fifty-six years ago at Roswell, New Mexico." What most likely crashed at Roswell in 1947 was a government spy bal- loon, but the panel of guests assembled on King's show pre- ferred a more sensational version of events. Jesse Marcel, Jr., son of a Roswell intelligence officer, claimed that just after the crash, his father showed him bits of debris that "came from another civilization" (Marcel 2003). Glenn Dennis, who worked at a Roswell funeral home at the time, said a military officer called him to ask about the availability of small caskets (i.e., for dead aliens). Later Dennis, obviously SKEPTICAL INQUIRER November/December 2003 a UFO enthusiast, abruptly observed that the pyramids in Roswell crash site. Doleman admitted to King rJiat his dig had Egypt had recently been "[shut down] for three or four days not yet yielded any definitive evidence, but added that the and no tourists going out there on account of the sightings" "results" of his analysis will air on Sci-Fi in October—as (Dennis 2003). opposed to, say, being published in a peer-reviewed scientific King's program didn't merely advance the notion that an journal (Doleman 2003). [See also David E. Thomas, "Bait alien spacecraft crashed at Roswell in 1947.
    [Show full text]
  • PAJ77/No.03 Chin-C
    AIN’T NO SUNSHINE The Cinema in 2003 Larry Qualls and Daryl Chin s 2003 came to a close, the usual plethora of critics’ awards found themselves usurped by the decision of the Motion Picture Producers Association of A America to disallow the distribution of screeners to its members, and to any organization which adheres to MPAA guidelines (which includes the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences). This became the rallying cry of the Independent Feature Project, as those producers who had created some of the most notable “independent” films of the year tried to find a way to guarantee visibility during award season. This issue soon swamped all discussions of year-end appraisals, as everyone, from critics to filmmakers to studio executives, seemed to weigh in with an opinion on the matter of screeners. Yet, despite this media tempest, the actual situation of film continues to be precarious. As an example, in the summer of 2003 the distribution of films proved even more restrictive, as theatres throughout the United States were block-booked with the endless cycle of sequels that came from the studios (Legally Blonde 2, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, Terminator 3, The Matrix Revolutions, X-2: X-Men United, etc.). A number of smaller films, such as the nature documentary Winged Migration and the New Zealand coming-of-age saga Whale Rider, managed to infiltrate the summer doldrums, but the continued conglomeration of distribution and exhibition has brought the motion picture industry to a stultifying crisis. And the issue of the screeners was the rallying cry for those working on the fringes of the industry, the “independent” producers and directors and small distributors.
    [Show full text]
  • 30 Rock and Philosophy: We Want to Go to There (The Blackwell
    ftoc.indd viii 6/5/10 10:15:56 AM 30 ROCK AND PHILOSOPHY ffirs.indd i 6/5/10 10:15:35 AM The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series Series Editor: William Irwin South Park and Philosophy X-Men and Philosophy Edited by Robert Arp Edited by Rebecca Housel and J. Jeremy Wisnewski Metallica and Philosophy Edited by William Irwin Terminator and Philosophy Edited by Richard Brown and Family Guy and Philosophy Kevin Decker Edited by J. Jeremy Wisnewski Heroes and Philosophy The Daily Show and Philosophy Edited by David Kyle Johnson Edited by Jason Holt Twilight and Philosophy Lost and Philosophy Edited by Rebecca Housel and Edited by Sharon Kaye J. Jeremy Wisnewski 24 and Philosophy Final Fantasy and Philosophy Edited by Richard Davis, Jennifer Edited by Jason P. Blahuta and Hart Weed, and Ronald Weed Michel S. Beaulieu Battlestar Galactica and Iron Man and Philosophy Philosophy Edited by Mark D. White Edited by Jason T. Eberl Alice in Wonderland and The Offi ce and Philosophy Philosophy Edited by J. Jeremy Wisnewski Edited by Richard Brian Davis Batman and Philosophy True Blood and Philosophy Edited by Mark D. White and Edited by George Dunn and Robert Arp Rebecca Housel House and Philosophy Mad Men and Philosophy Edited by Henry Jacoby Edited by Rod Carveth and Watchman and Philosophy James South Edited by Mark D. White ffirs.indd ii 6/5/10 10:15:36 AM 30 ROCK AND PHILOSOPHY WE WANT TO GO TO THERE Edited by J. Jeremy Wisnewski John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ffirs.indd iii 6/5/10 10:15:36 AM To pages everywhere .
    [Show full text]
  • Again: Indiana’S 2008 Presidential Primary
    The Whole World Was Watching … Again: Indiana’s 2008 Presidential Primary MARJORIE RANDON HERSHEY oosiers do not usually see presidential campaigns in person. We Hknow from media coverage that they are taking place in other states, but we know just as surely that candidates for the presidency do not come to Indiana, with the occasional exception of a trip to raise money. The Indiana primary takes place in May, much too late to make a difference in most presidential nomination races. Presidential candi- dates generally see no reason to visit in the fall campaign, either. Republican candidates have grown accustomed to winning the state’s electoral votes whether they travel to Indiana or not, as has happened in every election since Lyndon Johnson’s landslide victory in 1964. For the same reason, it has long seemed pointless for a Democratic presidential candidate to waste his or her time trying to change that pattern. Hoosiers pay a price for such assumptions. Presidential cam- paigns serve a number of purposes in addition to selecting a winner. A __________________________ Marjorie Randon Hershey is professor of political science and director of the Leadership, Ethics, and Social Action Program at Indiana University. Her research focuses on the media coverage of political campaigns and elections, and she teaches about political parties and inter- est groups, environmental policy, and American politics in general. She is the author of Party Politics in America (13th ed., New York, 2008) and a variety of other books and articles. She has won a series of teaching awards at Indiana University. INDIANA MAGAZINE OF HISTORY, 104 (December 2008) ᭧ 2008, Trustees of Indiana University.
    [Show full text]
  • Russell Brand
    Russell Brand Arena-level stand-up that asks us to think as well as laugh The Guardian Awards: • Winner: British Comedy Awards: Outstanding Contribution To Comedy 2011 • Winner: British Comedy Awards: Best Live Stand-Up 2008 • Winner: Television and Radio Awards: Best Television Performer in a Non-Acting Role • Winner: British Comedy Awards: Best Newcomer 2006 • Winner: Loaded Laftas: Best Stand-Up 2006 • Winner: Time Out: Best Stand-Up 2006 Russell Brand is an award-winning comedian, writer, actor and presenter. Russell initially rose to fame in 2003 for his work as a presenter on MTV and on Big Brother spin-off, Big Brother’s Big Mouth. Since then he has become one of the most recognisable and best-loved comedy performers in the world, with a series of sold-out tours, bestselling DVDs and a number of major film roles to his name. His first nationwide stand-up tour, 2006’s Shame, was a huge success, eventually being filmed at London’s iconic Shepherd’s Bush Empire and released as a bestselling DVD, entitled Russell Brand: Live. He followed that tour with 2007’s Only Joking (released on DVD as Doin’ Life) and in 2009 embarked on his debut series of US dates with Scandalous. His most recent stand-up show, 2013’s critically–acclaimed Messiah Complex, was also a major hit and again a bestselling DVD. Russell has enjoyed a wide-ranging and incredibly successful career in UK television. After concluding his stint on Big Brother’s Big Mouth in 2007, he went on to host his own chat shows, MTV’s 1 Leicester Square and Channel 4’s The Russell Brand Show, as well as the Bafta-nominated Ponderland, also for Channel 4.
    [Show full text]
  • The Effects of Extreme Media on Political Behavior, Attitudes, and Media Selection
    Georgia State University ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University Political Science Dissertations Department of Political Science Spring 1-23-2013 The Effects of Extreme Media on Political Behavior, Attitudes, and Media Selection James B. Taylor Georgia State University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/political_science_diss Recommended Citation Taylor, James B., "The Effects of Extreme Media on Political Behavior, Attitudes, and Media Selection." Dissertation, Georgia State University, 2013. https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/political_science_diss/28 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Political Science at ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Political Science Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE EFFECTS OF EXTREME MEDIA ON POLITICAL BEHAVIOR, ATTITUDES, AND MEDIA SELECTION by JAMES BENJAMIN TAYLOR Under the Direction of Sean Richey ABSTRACT This dissertation examines the role of extreme media (i.e. political talk radio and cable news opinion shows) on the political attitudes of viewers and listeners. I investigate whether extreme media has both positive and negative externalities for democratic citizenship. Specif- ically, I use laboratory experiments, national survey data, and qualitative interviews to test the impact of extreme media on viewers' political knowledge, trust in government, efficacy, and political tolerance. I use laboratory experiments in controlled settings to uncover the impact of viewership on political knowledge, trust in government, and efficacy. I confirm these lab findings with the national survey data, by using propensity score matching and ordered probit models to demonstrate that exposure to extreme media produces political knowledge and efficacy, but decreases trust in government.
    [Show full text]